


Falling For Stars

by pacifistt



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Keith misses his family, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Panic Attacks, Stargazing, and Lance too, space boys being dorks, they're back on earth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-08-11 09:17:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7885336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pacifistt/pseuds/pacifistt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the team had returned back to earth for a few days, the affection he has for Lance begins to haunt him again as he tries to keep himself calm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falling For Stars

**Author's Note:**

> This is mainly based on my own experiences and this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32udqal_lyQ  
> Also, I've translated any spanish into english, just hover your mouse over the sentence (if using PC) otherwise see the end of the notes.  
> I'm not that great at writing fanfiction but I hope you like it

The gentle whisper that carried the warm Autumn hues settled upon the boulevard where a few lamp posts sparingly illuminated the streets, leaving an amber glow to brush over the contours of a paladin’s face. An obnoxiously wide smile tugged at the gangling boy’s lips as he stood in front of the door which hadn’t been met by a cerulean pretence of galaxies contained in Lance’s eyes ever since the discovery of Voltron. His hands quivered, slender fingers twitching ever so slightly in his pockets, clutching at the fabric in an attempt to calm his nerves despite the animated expression smearing his face. As far as his family was concerned, he was still studying piloting at the Garrsion. How the young paladin wished to tell his siblings, his parents about his adventures through space, about the team. About Keith.

The evening sky smothered with the obscurely opaque clouds was now stifled with a darkened canvas marked with stars. Lance huffed in an attempt to calm himself, a puff of dragons breath escaping his numb lips as the September breeze nipped at it. He walked towards the door to his house and knocked on the door firmly which lead to the endearing sight of his younger sibling.

“Lance?”

“[Volví](I'm%20back).”  

* * *

By the dilatory hours of ten o’clock, everyone; Shiro, Pidge, Hunk and Lance had returned home. Everyone except Keith who remained by the ship where a benign azure tint, reminding him of the blue paladin softened over the area belonging to cold-tinged saturated lights belonging to Allura’s ship. Keith didn’t want to go home, he didn’t want to return to the isolation, the loneliness. Laces of dread tangled though the rebellious teen’s consciousness. He didn’t want to feel as desolate as he felt right then, entertaining the thought that If it weren’t for Voltron and the countless bonding moments, he wouldn’t be imprinted with this false sense of yearning for affection, yearning for Lance.

Even the constant bickering and endless disputes until the two weren’t even sure what they had started arguing about wasn’t enough for the red paladin. He still denied any feelings he had for anyone, though his intimations were distinctly present.

Keith stepped away from the ship as a sudden rush of wind encompassed him, distracting him from the frailty of his mind, a stark contrast with his somewhat firm build. A frame that Lance never hesitated to gaze upon, to delineate the lineaments of the slight muscles on his body. Keith could only stare at the ship as it took off from the ground and within a minute or so, vanished and succumbed to the oblivion of dusk. 

Upon entering his house, his legs gave way in seconds as he fell onto his bed, exhausted from his time in space fighting the Galran Empire. They still hadn’t won the endless battle and he was fairly certain they weren’t nearing the end. All of the paladins had grown exhausted from this feeble attempt to save the universe with the little experience each of them had and eventually they grew to become homesick, tired and losing any motivation to keep fighting. Lance was no longer his insufferable yet dynamic personality, Pidge begun to lose interest in exploring the Altean technology, even Hunk started to show a lack of appetite. A negative aura would always lag around the 5 of them when forming Voltron. That was when Shiro made a request to return to earth for a few days so the team could go back to their usual selves.

Keith missed his family despite how much he hated himself for it. He’d chided himself manifold times for brooding over something he didn’t have the ability to change. The thought of himself unable to control his emotions was something so darkly menacing to Keith. The distinct memory of how he was rendered an orphan was once again crawling its way through the tunnel of his lucidity, narrowed by his attempt to resist the biting, stentorian scenes. He was stronger than that though, he had made it a rule to contradict his disturbances and not let them get the best of him. He felt as if he were more mature that way but at the same time, drowning his emotions in an ocean channeled with valiance was what caused nights like these. The nights where he would ask himself one question. A question that would repeat into an infinite lattice. A question going a long the lines of, _why do you still exist?_ And it was that question that pushed Keith to the borderline.

He missed Lance, _God_ , he missed Lance. Part of him wanted him, no, he lusted for him so deliciously excruciatingly. So much so that he didn’t even notice the accelerated pounding in his chest, or the vicious mangling of his insides right below his stomach. Keith threw his head down as his unsteady fingers were coated with anxiety, and scrunched and jerked at his hair. He wanted his calloused palms to be held in Lance’s hands. He longed to feel the other’s lips, to be asphyxiated by his distinctive musk of cinnamon and Cedarwood. He needed to hear Lance’s mellow voice to keep him from teetering on the edge of tears. _Just shut up. Shut the fuck up_ , but to no avail, his postulations continued to screech at him. The rational but mute part of him knew that he couldn’t keep this up any longer. He would only hurt more, his heartache would only weigh down on him harder. 

He lifted his heavy head from his hands, forehead matted with sweat and reached for his back pocket to grab his phone. He remembered all too well when Lance had forced him to exchange phone numbers with him back at the Garrison, mumbling something about them being rivals of some sort which he hadn’t acknowledged at the time. Though, for now, he was so thankful to have agreed and took a palpating breath as he stared at Lances name on the screen, right above his number. With a surge of uncertainty, he pressed ‘call’.

“Keith, what the hell? I only just got home!” A somewhat outraged voice spoke.

“Lance I need to ask you something.”

“I’d love to do your sorry ass a favour but I’m kinda with my family right now.” His voice dripped with sarcasm.

“Lance please, I just…” He paused.

“Uh, hello? Keith, you still there?”

The red paladin inhaled sharply, “I need you to come over.”

“What? Right now? Guess you couldn’t make it on your own without my presence, huh.” Keith could sense Lance grinning from the end of the line.

“You wish.” He muttered passively.The red paladin then realised making a snarky remark wouldn’t help him in this situation. “Please Lance.”

“Fine.” He scowled, “But you owe me. My family won’t be too- Hello? Keith?” A single extended beep was heard from the phone. _Aw man, he hung up on me! I should’ve been the one the do that._

Lance sighed and slid his phone back into his back pocket before getting up from the sofa next to his siblings who were sprawled across the other side. He gave his sister a nudge and said,

“[Decirle a mamá que voy a salir](Tell%20mum%20that%20I'm%20going%20out).”

“[¿Qué? Pero acabas de llegar](What?%20But%20you%20just%20got%20here).”

“[Lo sé, pero voy a volver más tarde](I%20know,%20but%20I'll%20be%20back%20later).”

“[Bueno](Fine).” She sighed, earning a gratifying smile from the paladin.

 

A while later, the arrived at Keith’s house having spent the past hour getting lost and arguing about directions and which way he should be going. It was like the ‘invisible wall maze’ all over again. Keith had been nervously biting the skin of his lip as he waiting by the door for Lance to get there. He still couldn’t quite gage  why Keith had asked him here so unexpectedly. Probably to challenge him or something, knowing Keith. Lance knocked the door a few times, opening before he could shove his freezing hands back into his pockets. _That was quick_

“Missed me, huh.” He scoffed, an asymmetrical smile plastered on his face.

Keith’s eyes narrowed but made no comment, glancing at the other for what seemed to be a painfully short time. He took a step back to let Lance inside and closed the door behind him.

“You’ve got a pretty decent shack, not gonna lie. but I’d rather be at my place right now.”

Once again Keith didn’t make any attempt at rebuttal, he remained static, allowing his eyes to waver over the other’s body, abiding over his long legs, the way his hands fell by his side, his significantly hunched posture.

Lance could feel himself start to get rather frustrated at how the other was staying silent. “So why exactly did you want me here?”

 _Good question,_ Keith thought, _why you of all people?_

Keith couldn’t find an answer and moments passed as the two did nothing but wait for one of them to say something.

“So? You gonna open your mouth pretty boy, or just keep it shut the rest of the night?” There was a sense of meanness to his voice, nothing like the erratic undertones of when the two argued. 

 _Where did that come from?_ Keith flinched at the sudden malice in his words and somehow failed to muster up any intrepidity to speak. “I… Never mind.” He bleated with a shaky breath. _It’s not like you seem to care._

“What do you mean ‘never mind?’ Keith, I just came all this way so you’d better tell me what the heck you wanted me for.” Lance snapped. 

The blue paladin felt a hitch in his breath as his did so, he wondered what had caused this abrupt chagrin in his voice. He knew well that he never lashed out at people the way he was doing so, to Keith no less. To the person he seemed to have an inexplicable fascination for. An irrational urge to deluge him with sweet words but instead he was spitefully taking out his grievance on him. The irritation of knowing his feelings would never be returned. _Are you a fucking moron?_ _This won’t help the situation, fuck I didn’t mean to say any of this._ He cared for Keith more than then other realised, more than he, himself wanted to.

“Forget it, just go back home.” He sighed and began to leave.

“What the hell Keith!?” He screamed but Keith had already bolted it upstairs.

The red paladin slammed the door with the conflict the other had filled him with. His vision was blurred as he turned to lean against the wall giving it a swift kick. _Fuck, what is wrong with you. Why are you crying?_ The dull stinging sensation welling in his eyes forced a few snags to catch his breath. He groaned and kicked the wall again, balling his hands into fists, nails digging hard into his fingerless gloves as if he were trying to pierce through the seams. Anything to avert his focus from the sickening ache in his chest. 

Lance had remained downstairs, a blunt pounding of guilt writhing in him. With a few moments of contemplation, he walked up the stairs, opening the door with a sharp and sudden twist and push of the handle. Much to his alarm, he lay his eyes upon the crouching figure by the wall, trembling as a muffled whimper withdrew from his lips. The room was relatively spacious, a lamp by his desk dimly illuminating the room. The sight of Keith like this seemed to hurt the blue paladin more than he’d anticipated, a furrow forming on his brow. 

“Keith? Hey, are you alright?”

“Get out.” A subdued voice ordered through his volatile inhalations. 

“Hey, dude what the heck’s going on with you?” He asked hesitantly, keeping his voice hushed and steadily approached him.

Keith’s breathing was only getting more arbitrary, the tears in his eyes dampened his gloves as he completely lost control over himself. Now harsh gasps left the mess the red paladin was on the floor. 

“Ju-… Just go away!” He didn’t need Lance to see him like this.   

“Keith, what’s going on?” Lance’s voice sounded more troubled and rushed to kneel down behind him. “Keith, I’m not going anywhere until I know you’re alright.”

 _What do you care?_ Keith’s voice wouldn’t come out though. 

He felt like he was going to faint. He couldn’t breath, he could barely keep himself upright. Keith wanted to give in, he didn’t have the strength to push his jittering body up, he’d gone past the point of worrying about Lance seeing him the way he was; a disarray of breathy sobs and choking on tears. 

 _Warmth_. The intoxicating smell of Cedarwood and cinnamon.

Lance, who had shuffled behind him had placed a hand on the red paladin’s waist to help him stay up.

“Keith, sh-sh-shhh, you’re okay, breathe for me alright? Let’s put your hands on your head so you’re not restricting your chest.” Came a calm voice foaming with love at the brim.

Keith’s eyes were squeezed shut, doing anything he could to stop his never ending tears. _God, Lance this hurts. Make it stop. Fuck, stop it stop it stop it!_ He fell against him, back pressing against the blue paladin’s chest as he declined to hold himself up but more so for the fact that he wanted to be as close to Lance as possible despite his internal pain. He felt the other keeping his right hand steady on his shoulder, using the pad of his thumb to run small circles over and over at a stable, sedate pace. 

“You’re doing really well, just keep breathing, in through your nose and out through your mouth.” Lance soothed, inhaling and exhaling with him.

Keith nodded and could feel the tranquil rise and fall of the taller male’s chest against his back. He did his best to imitate it as his shaking began to narrow.  

“Well done, you’re doing really good. You’re body is having a bit of a shock from all the adrenaline so you’re going to be shaking but it’s nothing to worry about. Just keep breathing like you are now. You’re doing so well.”

Keith managed a gulp, nodding again. _Don’t speak to me so patriotically_. But the words Lance spoke were what happened to be keeping Keith conscious which he knew all too well but wished wasn’t the case. 

“You’re gonna be alright Keith, you’re safe, you’re breathing. You’re strong, you can get through this.” He repeated over and over.

After a while of Lance’s fondant utterances, Keith’s trembling slowed to a few twitches now and then and his breathing had returned to a loosened rhythm. He could feel Lance still holding him, his cheek softly pressed against the back of his head, reverent breathing tickling his neck. Maybe it was Lance’s distinct scent that calmed him, or maybe it was the the kind whispers than melted him to the bone, or maybe it was just the simplicity of the paladin being there with him, holding him, caring about him.

“You’re okay, it’s okay. Keith, you’re alright now. Let’s just get your hair away from your face.” He offered, taking the strands of hair from either side of his face, slick with tears and sticking to his cheeks. He used the sleeve of his coat to wipe his tear tracks away and tucked his hair behind his ears. He noticed the slightly pink tinge dusting over his cheeks regardless of the shadowy room. “Think you can open your eyes now?” He solicited.

“Mhm.” Keith hummed and opened them against the tears that had weakly glued his lashes together.

Lance’s lips lined with a smile and removed his hands as Keith let his arms fall from above his head. _No, Lance, let me stay close to you. Let me stay in your arms._ He shakily sat up straight, distancing himself from the warmth of Lances body and shifted around so that he could face him. “I-… Thank you.” He murmured.

“What was I gonna do, let you faint?” He grinned. 

“Well I never imagined you’d be able to handle the situation.” The other managed minimal smirk.

“Hey, is that the sort of thanks you give to your fellow teammate after he helps you?”

“Shut up, dumbass.” He frivolously sent a sheer punch to the other’s shoulder.

“Fine, fine. You just can’t handle the fact that I was able to help you.” He heaved. “But anyway, would you like to go outside. You might want some fresh air after that.”

“Yeah sure.” _Lance, why the hell are you being so considerate towards me?_

“Great, come on.” He urged, pulling the red paladin up and climbing the rest of the set of stairs.

“Wait, I thought we were going outside.”

“Yeah, we are. To the roof. You see, back at the Garrison, I would lay on the roof and gaze up at the sky when I needed to calm down.”

“Sounds pretty sappy, even for you.”

“Shut your quiznak and just get up here with me.”

Keith followed him up the stairs with a fatigued sigh, he hadn't remembered it being this cold when he was getting back home. The temperature must have dropped by several degrees in the past couple of hours. Keith's eyes wandered around the stretch of his roof which was a fairly new experience for him but violet eyes belonging to the red paladin always retraced their way back to Lance's tall stature. The blue paladin eventually lay down, cushioning his head under one of his arms. Keith hesitantly followed and sat cross legged as he glanced upwards. The vault to space had obliterated the vivid cerulean expanse smudged with clouds and cast an awning of stars. Some were dull, freckling the sky before those that burned brighter filled the paladins’ eyes. Lance was right. Keith felt calm, he felt at peace. 

“Keith.”

“Uhuh?” He turned his head towards the brunet.

“Do you want to talk about what just happened earlier?” Lance’s gaze remained fixed on the sky.

“Not particularly.”

“Why not? I think would be good to get it off your chest.”

“Because I’d never hear the end of it.” He sighed and returned to staring into the night.

“Hey Keith, as much as I love to tease you about things, I wouldn’t about a sensitive subject like this.”

“Is that so?”

“You don’t seem too convinced.”

“I’m not.”

“Come on Keith. You can trust me, we had a bonding moment didn’t we?”

The other scoffed. “Bonding moment my ass. It’s not important anyway.”

“Keith. It gave you a bloody panic attack! I’m quite sure we can class that as pretty damn important!” The other yelled. 

“So? It probably won’t happen again.”

Lance took a moment to gather his thoughts, pushing himself up into a sitting position. Then he remembered. “Does it have something to do with me lashing out at you before?” He asked, “Because I’m really sorry about that and I- “

“Relax, there was more to it than just that.”

“Oh right.”

Lance noticed how Keith had tensed up at that. Did he even know what had triggered it? The blue paladin scuffled closer to him, giving him a firm watch in the eye. He could smell the fragrant summer rain and frosted berries that seemed to hang over him. Something he’d took account of ever since the first time he’d been grappling with him on the training deck. 

“What?” Keith asked, raising an eyebrow in an attempt to disguise his nervousness.

“Talk to me.”

Perhaps it was the close proximity with the other that caused Keith’s mental shields to break, or the confrontational voice belonging to him. Either way, Keith felt like he could trust him.

“I… I don’t like being alone?” He started, taking Lance by surprise.

“What? But you’re always distancing yourself from people!” 

“Yeah, because I try not to get attached to people so things like what happened today don’t happen.”

“So what you’re saying is you miss the team?”

Keith nodded grudgingly, turning his gaze away. “I miss them, I miss having a family.”

Lance grimaced, seeing how much the other was hurting. “Oh Keith, I’m so sorry about your parents.” 

The other shook his head. “It doesn’t matter, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“So is that what triggered you?”

“Well, it was more a build up of things.”

“Really, what else?”

Keith fell silent. 

“Keith?” Lance placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

“I missed you.”

“ _Me?_ Why me?”

“Trust me I’ve been asking myself the same question. You’re a dorky, intolerable jerk who always runs their mouth. I will never understand why I love you.” Keith bit his lip, forgetting to breath. _You idiot, couldn’t keep your mouth shut could you._  He hadn’t meant to say ‘love’ he was supposed to say ‘miss’. 

“Well of course you love me, everyone lo-“ His voice took a halt. “Wait you what?”

“Argh.” He shoved his head in his hands to compensate for how much he hated himself right then. “I love you, you insufferable bastard.” He spoke through gritted teeth.

“Keith-“

“I get it if this makes things weird. You probably want to leave and I’d prefer if we never spoke of this again.”

“Well… I’m still here.” He stated simply. “And you didn’t let me finish.”

A crease ruled the shorter male’s forehead, he didn’t comprehend what the other meant. 

A mischievous grin lined Lance’s lips. “I love you too.” 

 _Lance loves me? Since when? Why?_ The red paladin felt the blood rush to his cheeks. ”You’re an idiot." He mumbled.

“I'm _your_ idiot." 

“I actually hate you.”

“Nope, no you don’t.”

“You’re enjoying this way too much.”

He attempted to hold back a laugh at how unusually flustered Keith was, placing both hands on either side of the other's face and pulled him closer. Their lips were inches away from each other. Lance’s fingertips were cold against his cheeks yet he still felt so unexplainably warm. Keith felt a slight tingling running along his fingers, his mouth partially open and hands gripping onto the blue paladin's shirt.

"What are you waiting for dumbass? Kiss me why don’t you.” Keith ordered.

Lance grinned, closing the gap between them. Keith’s lips were soft against Lance’s own, more than he’d imagined. His hand crept into the back of Keith’s neck where he threaded his fingers through the wisps. Keith shuddered again at the sudden warmth encompassing him as their chests were pressed flush against each other, opposing the bitter autumn cold around him. The kiss was tender and endearing, and defined a contrast between their personalities. Keith began to gingerly push the other down, lips still melded together, until he was laying down and the darker haired boy was leaning over him, keeping an arm at his waist whilst the other brushed Lance's hair back from his forehead lovingly. He then pulled away as he stared into the blue paladins eyes. There was a wide yet rare smile spread across his Keith's face. 

“You’re beautiful.”

Keith could guarantee his face was the colour of his jacket, shoving it into his hands. “Why the hell did I have to fall in love with _you_ , you complete imbecile.”

“Who would’ve thought I would be the one to render you so embarrassed.” Lance was finding it increasingly difficult to contain his laughter.

“Shut up.”

"No."

"You're an ass."

Lance paused. “I love you.”

“Good.”

**Author's Note:**

> And then they fucked
> 
> Translations:  
> Volví - I'm back  
> Decirle a mamá que voy a salir - Tell mum that I'm going out  
> ¿Qué? Pero acabas de llegar - What? But you just got here  
> Lo sé, pero voy a volver más tarde - I know, but I'll be back later  
> Bueno - Fine


End file.
